The Satoshi Nakamoto Mystery

Since the creation of Bitcoin, many have wondered who Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator, actually was. The mystery was deepened recently when on March 6, 2014, Newsweek published an article which identified a man named Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto as the Satoshi Nakamoto who created Bitcoin. Dorian Nakamoto is a 64 year old Japanese American male who lives a modest lifestyle in Temple City, California and also likes to collect model trains. It appears as though if he is the creator of Bitcoin, he has not spent any of his riches.

The article was written by Leah McGrath Goodman, and gives several pieces of evidence to suggest that Dorian is the real creator of Bitcoin. Apparently, Dorian Nakamoto was very good at math and also had a background in engineering and knew how to program. Much of his career, which includes work for the U.S government, is shrouded in secrecy. The greatest piece of evidence is the statement given by Dorian Nakamoto at the time of the interview: “I am no longer involved in that and I cannot discuss it. It’s been turned over to other people. They are in charge of it now. I no longer have any connection.”

This statement was later confirmed by police. However, in a later interview, Dorian denied being the creator and said that his quote was taken out of context. He apparently though that the interviewer was talking about his classified work for the U.S military. He would also deny having anything to do with Bitcoin, saying he had just recently heard of it. The mystery was deepened even further when on March 7th Satoshi Nakamoto’s profile on the P2P Foundation posted: “I am not Dorian Nakamoto.”

Other issues remain with the Newsweek story, such as why the writing style and skill of Dorian Nakamoto is so much different than the Bitcoin creator’s writing skills. Satoshi Nakamoto wrote in a very technical tone and with very good English skills. As evidenced by earlier emails and letters written by Dorian, his writing is nowhere near as good. Because of these issues, many in the Bitcoin community met the article with skepticism. Many were also concerned with Dorian Nakamoto’s lack of privacy and exposure which, regardless of whether he really created Bitcoin, may put him in danger.

While many may still be inclined to believe that Dorian Nakamoto is the creator of Bitcoin, it seems as though he is serious about denying it. A law firm hired by Dorian Nakamoto released a statement that said: “I did not create, invent or otherwise work on Bitcoin. I unconditionally deny the Newsweek report.” The fact that Dorian hired a law firm may mean that he is contemplating action against Newsweek. Regardless of what happens, the mystery of Bitcoin’s anonymous creator will continue on.

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